Don't Call Me Angel

Angel 09

The sun had barely risen when Lavender White found herself standing on the edge of the Fire and Ice camp's obstacle course. The morning air was crisp and cool, the sky a pale blue canvas streaked with pink and gold. She glanced around at her fellow campers, wondering what the day's reform activity would entail.

Logan stood at the front, clipboard in hand, his booming voice cutting through the chatter. "Good morning, everyone. Today, we're going to be doing something a little different. We're going to tackle the obstacle course."

Groans and murmurs of discontent rippled through the group. Lavender exchanged a glance with Celeste, who looked equally skeptical. Josh Worthy, standing a few feet away, rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Ambrose Cunningham remained stoic, his expression unreadable as usual.

Logan raised a hand for silence. "This isn't just about physical fitness. It's about teamwork and trust. You'll be paired up and expected to help each other through the course. Let's get started."

Lavender's heart sank a little. Teamwork and trust were not her strong suits. She was used to relying on herself, and the idea of depending on someone else made her uneasy. She watched as Logan started pairing everyone up.

"White and Cunningham," he announced.

Lavender's eyes widened in surprise. She glanced at Ambrose, who gave her a brief nod. This was going to be interesting.

Josh ended up paired with Celeste, which made Lavender feel a little better. At least she knew Celeste would have someone reliable. The group moved toward the starting line of the obstacle course, a series of daunting challenges laid out before them: walls to climb, ropes to swing across, and mud pits to crawl through.

"Ready?" Ambrose asked, his voice low and calm.

Lavender nodded, trying to muster some enthusiasm. "Yeah, let's do this."

The whistle blew, and they were off. The first obstacle was a towering wall that needed to be scaled. Lavender eyed it warily, but Ambrose stepped forward with confidence.

"I'll give you a boost," he said, cupping his hands to create a step.

Lavender hesitated for a moment, then placed her foot in his hands. He lifted her effortlessly, and she grabbed the top of the wall, pulling herself up and over. She landed on the other side with a thud, turning to see Ambrose scaling the wall with ease.

"Nice job," he said as he landed beside her.

"Thanks," she replied, a little out of breath. "Let's keep moving."

They ran to the next obstacle, a series of swinging ropes. Lavender grabbed a rope and launched herself across the gap, landing awkwardly but safely on the other side. Ambrose followed, his movements fluid and controlled.

As they moved through the course, Lavender found herself surprised by how well they worked together. Ambrose was strong and steady, and his calm demeanor helped keep her focused. She started to feel a flicker of trust building between them.

They reached the mud pit, the final obstacle. Lavender groaned inwardly, already feeling the weight of exhaustion. The pit was wide and deep, with thick, sticky mud that would make crawling through it a challenge.

"We'll have to go slow," Ambrose said, eyeing the pit. "But we can do this."

Lavender nodded, steeling herself. They both dropped to their hands and knees, crawling into the pit. The mud clung to them, making every movement difficult. Lavender's arms burned with effort, but she kept going, one slow inch at a time.

Ambrose stayed beside her, his presence a steadying force. "Almost there," he encouraged, his voice a low rumble.

Lavender gritted her teeth, pushing through the fatigue. Finally, they reached the other side and dragged themselves out of the mud pit. They lay on the ground for a moment, catching their breath.